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By W. A. MORTON and L. A. RAMSEY 







Class 

Book.. JLL&J 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT, 




Joseph Smith, the Prophet. 



L 



From Plowboy to Prophet 

Being a Short History of Joseph Smith, 
for Children 



BY WILLIAM A. MORTON 
(Illustrations by L. A.Ramsey) 



PUBLISHED BY WILLIAM A. MORTON 

Salt Lake City, Utah 

1912 






COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY WILLIAM A. MORTON 

The illustrations in this book are copyrighted, and must not be used 
without permission 



CCI.A319247 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Birth of Joseph Smith 1 

Light from the Scriptures 4 

How Joseph's Story was Received 10 

Joseph Visited by the Angel Moroni 13 

Joseph Visits Cumorah and Views the Plates 17 

Joseph Receives the Plates 20 

Professor Anthon's Testimony 23 

What Happened Through the Breaking of a Promise. . . 27 

The Aaronic Priesthood Restored 30 

The Gold Plates are Shown to Three Witnesses 33 

The Melchizedek Priesthood Restored 38 

The First Miracle 41 

How Joseph Was Saved from His Enemies 44 

Joseph Opposed by His Brethren 48 

Mission to the Lamanites 53 

The First Bishop Chosen — Gathering of the Saints to 

Ohio 58 

The Foundation of Zion Laid 62 

A Terrible Night 66 

What Happened on the Way to Kirtland 70 

Work of a Missouri Mob 74 

The Saints Driven from Jackson County 78 

Zion's Camp 83 

How the Lord Protected His People 87 



2 

little town of Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. It 
was surrounded by a number of beautiful shade 
trees, and in it there lived a poor, but happy family 
by the name of Smith. The family consisted of Jos- 
eph Smith, the father, Lucy Smith, the mother, five 
sons and three daughters. 

If you had lived in Sharon at the time of which I 
speak, and had taken a peep into that humble home 
on the 23rd of December—just two days before Christ- 
mas — 1805, you would have seen a good, kind mother 
lying upon a soft, warm bed, and a little, new-born 
babe sleeping peacefully on her bosom. The woman 
was Mrs. Lucy Smith, and the child which nestled 
in her loving arms was the baby Joseph, God's pre- 
cious Christmas gift to her, and also to the whole 
world. 

Day after day friends and neighbors called to see 
Mrs. Smith and her baby. They took the little one 
gently in their arms and kissed his dear, sweet, in- 
nocent lips, but not one of them knew that they were 



looking upon the great Prophet of the last days. 

At the proper time the baby was christened. He 
was given the name of Joseph Smith. That, you 
know, was also the name of his father. 



LIGHT FROM THE SCRIPTURES. 

The Smith family was poor. Their farm was not 
a very good one, and the father and mother had to 
work hard for the support of themselves and their 
children. 

As soon as the girls were able to help in the 
home, and the boys on the farm, they willingly did so. 

In the picture you see the boy Joseph ploughing 
with a yoke of oxen. He had very little time for 
school, but in the evenings, when his work was done, 
he studied at home, and learned to read and write, 
and to work simple examples in arithmetic. I am 
sure he often felt sorry that he was not able to go to 
school as much as the other boys. But, then, he must 
have felt happy in the thought that he was helping 
to lighten the burdens of his parents. 



5 

When Joseph was ten years of age his father left 
his place in Sharon and moved the family to Palmyra, 
in the State of New York. Four years later they 
left Palmyra and went to live in the town of Man- 
chester, in the same State. 

At that time the people in that part of the 
country became very much excited over religious 
matters. Almost every evening meetings were held 
in the churches. Joseph's mother and two of his 
brothers and a sister joined the Presbyterian Church. 
But Joseph did not unite himself with any church. 
I suppose you would like to know the reason why. 
Well, the reason was because they all taught different 
doctrines, and he did not know which one taught the 
true Gospel, or which was the true Church. 

I think I know, to a certain extent, how he felt. 
One day I went to a railway depot in England to 
take a train for London. There were six or seven 
trains standing on different tracks, all waiting the 
signal to start. I did not know which train to take, 



6 

and for a little while I stood puzzled. Just then I 
caught sight of a sign-board, on which was printed 
in large letters, 

"Train for London on track 7." 
Then I knew what to do. I boarded the train on the 
seventh track, and in due time arrived in London. 

In the same way Joseph Smith was puzzled con- 
cerning the churches. How was he to know which of 
them was the true Church ? Well, the Lord had pre- 
pared means, just as the railway company in Eng- 
land had prepared signs to direct people to the trains 
they wished to take. The way in which Joseph 
found the truth is told in the next chapter. 




Joseph Reading the Bible 



JOSEPH'S FIRST PRAYER. THE ANSWER. 

One evening Joseph took down the large, family 
Bible, and began to read its sacred pages. The Lord 
was guiding him at that time, but the boy did not 
know it. As he read, he came to the fifth verse of 
the first chapter of the Epistle of James, which reads 
as follows, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask 
of God, that giveth to all men liberally and un- 
braideth not, and it shall be given him." 

This scripture caused Joseph to stop and think, 
as you will see by looking at the picture. It made 
a great impression upon his mind. It seemed to say 
to him, "You wish to know which of the churches is 
the true Church. Well, if you will ask Ood He will 
tell you." 

Joseph decided to do that. But he did not tell 



8 

any member of the family what was in his heart. He 
closed the Bible, put it back in its place, and then 
went to his bed, little dreaming that the next day 
he would have news which in the course of time 
would startle the whole world. 

He awoke early the next morning, arose and 
dressed himself. The rest of the family were fast 
asleep, so, slipping quietly out of the house, Joseph 
made his way to a small grove not far from his fath- 
er's home. It was a beautiful spring morning. The 
sun was gilding the hill tops, the birds were singing 
their songs in the trees, and the air was scented 
with the fragrance of wild flowers. All nature seemed 
to say, "God lives. God is good. He loves His chil- 
dren and delights to bless them." 

Selecting a suitable spot in the grove, Joseph 
knelt down and began to call upon God in earnest 
prayer. While he was praying he saw an exceedingly 
bright light coming down out of heaven. He gazed 
in astonishment on this strange sight, while a peace- 




Joseph Praying in the Grove. 



9 

ful influence filled his soul. As the light reached' 
the tops of the trees, Joseph beheld in the midst of 
it two heavenly Beings. They were in the form of 
men, but far more glorious and beautiful. They 
were God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. 
Pointing to the Son, the Father said, " Joseph, this 
is my beloved Son, hear Him." 

As soon as Joseph was able to speak he asked 
the Lord which of the churches was the true Church. 
He was surprised when the Lord told him that all the 
churches had departed from the right way, that they 
had been established by men and not by God, that 
none of them taught the true Gospel, and that he was 
not to join any of them. 

Then the Lord told Joseph that in due time the 
true Church would be set up again on earth, and that 
if he were true and faithful he would be chosen to 
be its leader and Prophet, 

Filled with wonder and surprise, Joseph arose 
and returned to his home. 



HOW JOSEPH'S STORY WAS RECEIVED. 

Joseph felt very strange all the rest of the day. 
He could think of nothing but the wonderful vision 
he had had, and the things which the Lord had told 
him. But these things had not been revealed to him 
just for his own benefit. Others should know of them 
as well as he. Yes, he would tell the people the glad 
tidings, so that they might rejoice with him, and 
look forward with joy to the time when the true 
Church would be again established in the earth. 

Who should he tell first? Why, who but one of 
the ministers, and he in turn could tell all the mem- 
bers of his church. So, with a glad heart, Joseph 
went to the minister of one of the churches and told 
him about the glorious vision he had had in the grove, 
and also the things which the Lord had told him. 

You can imagine how the boy felt when the min- 
ister turned to him and said, "I do not believe one 



V. 



11 

word of what you have told me. It is all of the 
wicked one. There are no such things as visions and 
revelations in these days." But Joseph knew better. 
He knew that he had had a vision. He knew that he 
had seen the Father and the Son, and that the Lord 
had talked with him. People might mock his testi- 
mony and refuse to believe it, but that would not rob 
him of the knowledge he had received from God. 

In a short time the news concerning Joseph's 
vision reached the ears of the ministers of the dif- 
ferent churches in the neighborhood. What effect 
did it have upon them? I am sorry to tell you that 
it had much the same effect that the telling of Jos- 
eph's dreams had upo'n his brethem, that the news 
of the Savior's birth had upon Herod, and the testi- 
mony of Stephen had upon the people who heard it — 
it made them very angry, and aroused in their hearts 
a deadly hatred against him. 

At that time Joseph was only a boy. His tender 
age alone ought to have protected him, but it did 



12 

not. He was treated as if he were a full-grown man, 
and also as one of the greatest impostors the world 
had ever seen. 

The courage which the boy displayed was truly 
marvelous. From every quarter he received bitter 
persecution, but as the Prophet Daniel stood un- 
daunted in the midst of the lions, so Joseph Smith 
stood in the midst of his enemies. He never flinched 
from his position. Who gave him such courage ? Who 
enabled him to stand alone"? Who gave courage to 
Joseph, the son of Jacob, to defend the truth 
which had been revealed to him? Who gave courage 
to David to enable him to fight the giant Goliath? 
Who gave courage to Daniel to enter the den of lions ? 
Who gave courage to the three Hebrews to face the 
fiery furnace? Who gave courage to Stephen to 
die for the truth? It was the God of Heaven. It was 
He, also, who sustained the boy Joseph Smith in the 
midst of all his trials and persecutions. 



L * — *~ . ■ ■ j 



JOSEPH VISITED BY THE ANGEL MORONI. 

I am now going to tell you about another wonder- 
ful thing. It took place one night in September, 
three years from the time Joseph had seen the glor- 
ious vision in the grove. 

Joseph had just gone to bed. As he lay there 
his thoughts wandered back to the morning when, in 
answer to prayer, the Father and Son had appeared 
to him. He felt that he would like to know if the 
Lord was still pleased with him. He began to pray, 
believing firmlv that his prayer would be answered. 
And so it was. 

While Joseph was praying, a bright, heavenly 
light entered the room. The light increased, and 
in a few minutes the little bed-chamber was filled 
with it. On looking up, Joseph was greatly startled. 



14. 

Close beside his bed stood a heavenly messenger, 
his feet a short distance from the floor. This holy 
being was the Angel Moroni. He had come with 
a very important message from the Lord. 

The angel was clothed in a robe of spotless white. 
His head, hands and feet were bare. His face 
was as bright as the sun at noonday. He called 
Joseph by name, and then began to tell him about 
a great work which the Lord had marked out for him. 

Joseph listened with the greatest interest while 
the angel talked to him. He told him about a won- 
derful record, or history, which had been hidden 
from the world for hundreds of years. It was written 
in a strange language, upon gold plates, and was 
buried in the Hill Cumorah, not far from Joseph's 
home. It was a history of the people who lived in 
this land long before and after the time of the 
Savior. 

It also told about Jesus appearing to them, after 




Visit of the Angel Moroni. 



15 

His resurrection, and of the glorious gospel which 
He had taught them. 

The angel said that in the course of time the 
Lord would permit Joseph to take the plates from 
their hiding place. He would also help him to trans- 
late the writing upon them into the English language. 
After that the book would go into all the world, and 
the people would learn of the wonderful things which 
the Lord had done among the early inhabitants of 
this land. 

Mronoi told Joseph many other important 
things. When he had delivered his message, the 
angel departed. 

As Joseph lay thinking over what had taken 
place, the light again entered his room. Then the 
angel appeared the second time, and repeated all 
that he had said before, adding some things. He 
then took his departure, but in a short time re-ap- 
peared, and delivered the same message. He told 
Joseph that wiien he received the plates he would 



16 

have to take great care of them, and hold them as a 
sacred gift from God. 

The vision closed, and the angel disappeared. 



JOSEPH VISITS CUMOEAH AND VIEWS THE 

PLATES. 

Joseph's interview with the angel lasted the whole 
night. When the morning came he arose and at- 
tended to his chores as usual. He did not tell anyone 
what had happened during the night. 

After breakfast, he went with his father to the 
field, but he was so weak that he could not work. 
His father, seeing that he was not feeling well, told 
him to go home. 

Joseph started for the house, but in trying to climb 
a fence his strength failed him, and he fell helpless 
to the ground. He lay unconscious for some time. 
When he recovered he looked up and saw the Angel 
Moroni. 

The heavenly messenger repeated what he had told 



18 

Mm the previous night. He then told Joseph to go 
back to his father and tell him all that had taken 
place. 

Mr. Smith listened to his son's story with interest 
and astonishment. It was, indeed, a wonderful thing. 
But he knew that Joseph had told the truth, for he 
was a good, honest, truthful boy. Indeed, Joseph 
could not have told such a story if it had not been 
true. What boy ever thought of such things^ Not 
one in all the world. 

Joseph's father told him that what he had seen 
and heard was of God, and that he must do all that 
the angel told him. By this time Joseph felt better, 
and he started for the Hill Cumorah. 

On arriving at the hill, he went straight to the 
place where the plates were buried. It had been 
shown to him in vision the night before. He saw 
a stone just a little above the ground. With the aid 
of a lever he raised it, and there, in a box made of 
four flat stones, lay the gold plates. 




Joseph Visits Cumorah and Viezcs the Plates. 



- 



19 

Beside the plates was a curious instrument, called 
the Urim and Thunimim. It was like a pair of large 
spectacles. It had been put there to aid Joseph in 
translating the writing upon the plates. 

Joseph put forth his hands to take the plates from 
their hiding place. At that moment the Angel 
Moroni appeared and stopped him. He said the time 
had not come for Joseph to get the sacred history. 
He told Joseph to come to the hill on the same day 
each year for four years. At the end of that time, 
if he should prove faithful, the Lord would let him 
take the plates. 

Joseph put the stone lid back on the box, covered it 
over as before, and returned to his home to begin the 
work of preparing himself for his great mission. 



JOSEPH RECEIVES THE PLATES. 

During the next two years Joseph helped his 
father on the farm. He also worked for neighboring 
farmers. He did his work well, and his employers 
were pleased with him. 

Then he went to work in an old silver mine. It 
was owned by a man named Josiah Stoal. At the 
end of a month Joseph got Mr. Stoal to stop working 
the mine, as there was no sign that it would pay. 
But Mr. Stoal did not want to part with Joseph, so 
he kept him to do other work. 

While working for this man, Joseph boarded with 
a family by the name of Hale. Mr. Hale had a 
daughter named Emma. Joseph and Emma grew 
to love each other, and in the course of time they 
were married. After his marriage, Joseph went to 
work again for his father. 



21 

Finally the time came for Joseph to get the plates. 
It was the 22nd of September, 1827. With feelings 
of joy and fear Joseph started for Cumorah. At the 
hill he was met by the Angel Moroni. The cover 
was taken off the stone box, the sacred record was 
lifted from its hiding place and placed in the hands 
of Joseph 

The heavenly messenger then told him to take the 
greatest care of the plates, and not to let them pass 
out of his hands. The plates were about eight 
inches long, and each one was almost as thick as com- 
mon tin. They were bound together with three 
rings. They made a book about six inches thick. Part 
of the record was sealed. The angel told Joseph 
that when he had translated the unsealed part he 
would come and take charge of the plates again. 

When it became known that Joseph had the plates, 
wicked men did all in their power to get them. But 
they did not succeed, for Joseph remembered the in- 
struction of the angel, and kept them hid. 



PROFESSOR ANTHON'S TESTIMONY. 

Joseph spent about two months copying and trans- 
lating the characters which were upon the plates. 
Some of the characters are shown on the opposite 
page. That kind of writing looks very strange to us. 
How hard it would be for a person to translate this 
writing into English. Joseph could not have done 
such a thing without the help of the Lord. 

One day Martin Harris went to Mr. Hale's home 
to visit the Prophet. He asked Joseph if he would 
let him take some of the characters he had copied 
and translated, to New York, to show to a learned 
man there. 

Joseph said he could do so. On arriving in New 
York, Mr. Harris went to Professor Charles Anthon. 
This man was able to speak several languages. Mr. 



24 

Harris showed him the work Joseph had done, and 
asked him to give his opinion about it. 

Professor Anthon looked at the characters which 
Joseph had copied, also the translation. He said the 
characters were true, and that the translation was 
correct. He gave Mr. Harris a letter to this effect. 

Just as Mr. Harris was about to leave, Professor 
Anthon said to him, "How did the young man find 
out that there were gold plates in the place where 
he found them?" Mr. Harris said an angel of God 
had revealed it to him. 

On hearing that, the professor said, "Let me see 
that letter." Mr. Harris took it out of his pocket 
and handed it to him. The learned man tore it into 
pieces, saying there were no such things now as the 
ministering of angels. 

Professor Anthon told Martin Harris that if he 
would bring the record to him he would translate it. 
Mr. Harris said he could not do so, as Joseph would 
not let anyone take the plates. He also told the pro- 



25 

fessor that part of the plates was sealed. On hearing 
that, the learned man said, "I cannot read a sealed 
book." Martin Harris went back to Joseph and told 
him all that Professor Anthon had said. 

I am now going to show you how a prophecy was 
fulfilled at that time. You have all heard of the 
Prophet Isaiah. He lived before the time of the 
Savior. He wrote a book; it is one of the books of 
the .Bible. Jf you will turn to the twenty-ninth 
chapter of the book of Isaiah, you will find these 
words, beginning at the 11th verse: 

"And the vision of all is become unto you as the 
words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to 
one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: 
and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed." 

That prophecy was fulfilled when Martin Harris 
took the copy of the characters and the translation 
to Professor Anthon. When told that a part of the 
record was sealed, the learned man said, "I cannot 
read a sealed book." 



26 

The book was given to Joseph Smith, who was not 
learned, and he, by the gift and power of God, trans- 
lated it into the English language. That precious 
record is the Book of Mormon. 



WHAT HAPPENED THROUGH THE BREAK- 
ING OP A PROMISE. 

Martin Harris was greatly interested in the Pro- 
phet Joseph and in the work which he was doing. 
Soon after his visit to Professor Anthon, he went to 
Joseph and told him he would like to write for him 
while he translated the engravings upon the plates. 
Joseph accepted this kind offer and Mr. Harris be- 
came his scribe. 

The work of translation was very slow and also 
very difficult. But it gave Joseph and Martin 
great joy. They were in the service of the Lord. 
What a wonderful history they were preparing! Tens 
of thousands of people would rejoice when they read 
of the great things which the Lord had done among 
the early inhabitants of this land. 



28 

At the end of two months Martin Marris had writ- 
ten 116 large pages of the translation. His wife had 
asked him a number of times for permission to see 
what he had written. 

One day Martin asked Joseph to let him take 
the papers away, to show to a few friends. Joseph 
refused to do so. Then Martin wanted Joseph to 
ask the Lord about the matter. The Prophet did 
so, and received an answer, through the Urim and 
Thummim, telling him not to let Martin have the 
papers. 

But Martin was not satisfied. He asked Joseph to 
enquire of the Lord again. The answer was the 
same as before. A third time Martin asked for the 
same thing. Then the word of the Lord came to 
Joseph saying he might allow Martin Harris to take 
the papers, but that he, Joseph, would be held re- 
sponsible for them. 

Martin promised Joseph that he would let only 
five persons see the papers. These were his wife, 



29 

his father and mother, his brother, and his wife's 
sister. I am sorry to say that Martin Harris failed 
to keep his promise. He let wicked men have the 
sacred writings. They kept them, and neither Mar- 
tin nor Joseph ever saw them again. , 

Joseph was punished for doing as Martin asked 
him. The Urim and Thummim was taken from him, 
so that he could not translate. The Prophet had 
great sorrow because of this. He humbled himself 
before the Lord and prayed for forgiveness. At 
length his prayer was answered, his sin was pardon- 
ed, and the Urim and Thummim given back to him. 

Martin Harris was more severely punished. He 
lost his place as scribe, and was never allowed to 
write again for the Prophet. What a serious thing 
it is for a person to break a promise made to the Lord, 
or even to one of His servants ! 



THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD RESTORED. 

Joseph felt sorry at losing the help of Martin 
Harris. He had now no one to write for him. He 
prayed to the Lord to send some one to assist him. 
His prayer was answered; the help came. 

One Sabbath evening a young man named Oliver 
Cowdery called at the home of Mr. Hale, and enquir- 
ed for Joseph. He was introduced to the Prophet. 
He told Joseph he had just come from Manchester, 
where he had been teaching school. He had heard 
that Joseph had been visited by heavenly Beings, 
and had prayed to the Lord to know if the report 
were true. He received a testimony that Joseph 
had been called of God to do a great work, and was 
also told that he had been chosen to assist the Pro- 
phet. 

Oliver said he would be glad to write for Joseph. 




John the Baptist Conferring the Aaronic Priesthood on Joseph Smith 

and Oliver Cozvdery. 



31 

His offer was accepted, and two days later Joseph 
again began the work of translating, Oliver writing 
for him. 

One day in May, 1829, they came to a passage in 
the sacred record which caused them to stop and 
think seriously. It spoke of baptism for the remis- 
sion of sins. Joseph and Oliver had not been bap- 
tized. What were they to do? 

After talking the matter over for some time, they 
decided to pray to the Lord about it. They went to 
the woods, and there they asked the Lord to make 
plain to them the meaning of baptism for the re- 
mission of sins. 

In answer to their prayer, a heavenly messenger 
appeared before them. He told them he was John 
the Baptist, the same who had baptized the Savior, 
and that he had been sent by the Apostles Peter, 
James and John to them. Placing his hands upon 
the heads of Joseph and Oliver, he uttered these 
words : 



32 

"Upon you my fellow servants, in the name of 
Messiah, I confer the Priesthood of Aaron, which 
holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of 
the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immer- 
sion for the remission of sins ; and this shall never 
be taken again from the earth until the sons of Levi 
do offer again an offering unto the Lord in right- 
eousness." 

He then told Joseph and Oliver to go down to the 
water and baptize each other. After giving them 
other instructions, he was taken up in the midst of 
a pillar of light. 

Joseph and Oliver then went to the river and were 
baptized. Joseph baptized Oliver and then Oliver 
baptized Joseph. The power of God rested upon 
them, and by the gift of prophecy Joseph foretold 
of the establishment of the Church of Christ upon 
the earth in these last days. 

With hearts filled with thanksgiving and glad- 
ness they returned to their work of translation. 



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THE GOLD PLATES ARE SHOWN TO THREE 

WITNESSES. 

At this time two of Joseph's brothers, Samuel 
H. and Hyrum, came to visit him. He was very glad 
to see them. He talked with them a long time. He 
told them about the visit of John the Baptist. This 
heavenly messenger had given him and Oliver 
Cowdery authority to baptize people for the remis- 
sion of their sins. He and Oliver had been baptized. 

Joseph told his brothers to pray to the Lord about 
this matter. They did so. The Lord gave them a 
testimony that what Joseph had told them was true. 
Then Joseph's brothers were baptized. 

Joseph was very poor at that time. He had no 
money to buy food for his family. He was thinking 
about going out to work. Just then help was sent 



34 

him. A kind-hearted man named Joseph Knight, who 
lived in New York, had heard of the Prophet. He 
came to see him, and brought him a surWy of food. 

Soon after that, Joseph was visited by a young 
man named David Whitmer. He came with a mes- 
sage from his father, Peter Whitmer. Mr. Whitmer 
lived in Payette, Seneca county, New York. He also 
had heard of the Prophet, and of the wonderful book 
he was translating. He invited Joseph and Oliver 
to come to his home and do the work there. He 
would keep them, free of charge, and would see that 
no harm came to them. 

Joseph felt thankful for this kind offer. He said 
he would go. He and Oliver got ready to move to 
Fayette. But Joseph was troubled about the gold 
plates. He might be robbed of them on the way. 
Just then the Angel Moroni appeared and told Jos- 
eph that he would take charge of the plates. 

After Joseph had been at Mr. Whitmer 's home a 
short time he went out into the garden. He there 




The Angel Moroni Showing the Plates of the Book of Mormon 



Witn 



to tin 



esses. 



35 

met the Angel Moroni and received from him the 
sacred record. 

The Whitmer family were very kind to Joseph and 
Oliver. They told some of their neighbors about the 
Prophet, and invited them to come and see him. 
Joseph told them about the great things which the 
Lord had done. Some of them believed his words 
and were baptized. 

One day the Lord made known to Joseph that 
three witnesses were to see the gold plates. These 
men were Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and 
Martin Harris. They felt very happy when they 
heard the news. 

Joseph went to the woods with these three 
brethren. They all prayed to the Lord. But their 
prayer was not answered. They prayed again. Still 
no answer came. Then Martin Harris said he was 
the cause of their prayers not being answered. The 
Lord was not well pleased with him, because he had 
broken his promise to Joseph. 



36 

Martin Harris left the brethren. He felt very 
sorry. He went off: by himself, to ask the Lord to 
forgive him. After he had gone, Joseph, Oliver and 
David began to pray. While they were doing so a 
bright light shone down upon them. Then the Angel 
Moroni appeared before them. He had with him 
the gold plates, also the Urim and Thummim. 

The heavenly messenger turned over, one by one, 
the leaves of the part that was not sealed. The 
brethren saw the characters which were upon them. 
While they were looking upon the plates they heard 
a voice from heaven. It was the voice of the Lord. 
He said the record was true, and that it had been 
translated correctly. They were told to bear testi- 
mony to the world of the things they had seen and 
heard. 

Then Joseph went to Martin Harris and they 
prayed together. Their prayer was answered. The 
angel came and showed the plates to Martin. He 
also heard the voice from heaven. He fell on his 



37 

face, crying, "It is enough! Mine eyes have beheld! 
Mine eyes have beheld!" 

The three witnesses then returned with the 
Prophet to the home of Peter Whitmer. You can 
find their testimony, also the testimony of eight 
other witnesses, in the front of the Book of Mormon. 



THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD 
RESTORED. 

At last the work of translating was done. Then 
the Angel Moroni called for the plates. He still has 
charge of them. Part of them, you know, was seal- 
ed. Some time the sealed part will be translated. 
Then we will learn more about the great things 
which the Lord has done. 

The book was now ready to be printed. Mr. 
Grandin, a printer in New York, said he would print 
and bind five thousand copies for three thousand 
dollars. He was given the work. Martin Harris 
gave security for the payment of the printing. 

Then Joseph went back to Pennsylvania to visit 
his wife Emma. He told her how the Lord 'had 
blessed him in his work. It made her feel very 
happy. 



39 

Soon after that another wonderful thing took 
place. One day in June, 1829, Joseph and Oliver were 
in the State of New York. They were out in a quiet 
part of the country. They were talking about the 
Lord and about the great work He was helping them 
to do. 

Just then three angels came down and stood be- 
fore them. These heavenly visitors were three of 
the Lord's apostles. They were Peter, James and 
John. They told Joseph and Oliver that they had 
come to confer upon them the Melchizedek Priest- 
hood. That would give them authority to lay on 
hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. They could 
also organize the true Church of Christ again on the 
earth. 

Then Peter, James and John placed their hands 
upon Joseph's head and ordained him the first Elder 
in the Church. They then ordained Oliver the sec- 
ond Elder. 

In the year 1830, the Book of Mormon was pub- 



40 

listed. On the 6th day of April, in the same year, 
a meeting was held at the house of Peter Whitmer. 
A number of people were present who had been bap- 
tized. Joseph asked them if they would like him 
and Oliver to be their leaders and teachers. They 
all said they would. The Sacrament was adminis- 
tered. Joseph and Oliver then laid their hands upon 
the heads of those who had been baptized, and con- 
firmed them. On that day the Church of Jesus 
Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized. 



THE EIBST MIRACLE. 

The next Sunday after the Church was organized 
a meeting was held at the home of Peter Whitmer, 
senior. There were many people present. Oliver 
Cowdery preached to them. He told them about the 
Book of Mormon. He also told them about the visit 
of John the Baptist. He said if they would be bap- 
tized the Lord would forgive all their sins. Then 
they could be confirmed members of the true Church. 

At the close of the meeting three men and three 
women were baptized in Seneca Lake. The follow- 
ing Sunday seven others were baptized. 

At this time Joseph went to visit Mr. Knight. This 
man had been kind to the Prophet. He brought him 
a supply of food when he was translating the plates. 
The Knight family were glad to see Joseph. He 



42 

stayed with them several days. Joseph held meet- 
ings in Colesville, where the Knight family lived. 

Mr. Knight had a son named Newel. He talked 
with the Prophet often about the great latter-day 
work. He also attended the meetings. Joseph asked 
him several times to pray. He said he could not do 
so. One day he told Joseph he would pray at the 
next meeting. He did not keep his promise. 

The next morning Newel went into the woods. He 
knelt down and tried to pray. But he was not able 
to speak. The Lord was not pleased with him. A 
strange feeling came over him. 

He went back to his home feeling very bad and 
acted in a strange way. An evil spirit had entered 
into him. He suffered great pain. A number of 
relatives and friends heard what had taken place. 
They came to see him, but could not help him. 

Mr. Knight told his wife to go for the Prophet. 
Joseph came quickly. He felt very sorry when he 
saw Newel. Joseph took hold of his band. " There is 



43 

an evil spirit in me, Joseph," said Mr. Knight, "and 
I want you to cast him out. I know you can do so." 

Then the power of God was with the Prophet. He 
said to the evil spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ 
I command you to come out of him." 

At that moment the evil spirit left Mr. Knight. 
ISTewel was so weak that he had to be placed upon 
his bed. Then the Spirit of the Lord entered into 
him, and in a short time he was well again. He 
thanked and praised the Lord for healing him. He 
soon after joined the Church. 

This was the first miracle wrought in the Church. 
Many who saw it believed it was done by the power 
of God. They also were baptized and became mem- 
bers of the Church. 



HOW JOSEPH WAS SAVED PROM HIS 
ENEMIES. 

On the 9th day of June, 1830, the first conference 
of the Church was held. There were thirty members 
present, also many others. The Sacrament was ad- 
ministered. Then some people who had been bap- 
tized were confirmed members of the Church. 

Tlhat was a happy day for the Saints. The Holy 
Spirit was poured out upon them. Some prophesied, 
and others were given glorious visions. 

Newel Knight was greatly blessed of the Lord. He 
saw, in vision, the Savior, seated beside His Father 
on a throne in the heavens. Mr. Knight was told the 
time would come when he would be with the Lord. 
Soon after the conference David Whitmer baptized 
a number of persons. 



45 

There were several people in Colesville who wanted 
to be baptized. Joseph and some of his brethren 
went there. Saturday afternoon they built a dam 
across a stream of water. They were going to bap- 
tize there the next day. But they were not able to 
do so, for during the night a mob gathered and tore 
down the dam. 

The next day, the Sabbath, a meeting was held in 
the home of Mr. Knight. Some of the men who had 
broken the dam were there. They were pleased 
with what they had done. But Joseph and his 
brethren had a good plan in their minds. They 
arose early the next morning, re-built the dam, and 
baptized thirteen persons. One of them was Emma 
Smith, the Prophet's wife. 

That made the mob very angry. They went to a 
police officer and told him things about Joseph which 
were not true. A meeting* was to be held that even- 
ing. Before it took place the officer came and ar- 
rested Joseph. He told the Prophet a mob was wait- 



46 

ing for him, but that he would be his friend, and 
save him, if he could. 

Joseph and the officer got into a wagon. They had 
not gone far when the mob rushed out upon them. 
The wicked men thought the officer would turn 
Joseph over to them, but instead of doing that he 
drove quickly past them. 

That angered them more. They ran as fast as 
they could after the wagon. Joseph and the officer 
were getting ahead, when suddenly one of the wheels 
came off. The two men jumped out of the wagon. 
They lifted the wheel, put it back in its place and 
fastened it. Then they sprang to their seats, put 
the whip to the horse, and were soon out of reach 
of the mob. 

They drove to South Bainbridge. The officer en- 
gaged a room in a small hotel. He was afraid the 
mob might come during the night. So he made Jos- 
eph lie on the bed while he slept on the floor, with 



47 

his feet against the door. He kept his loaded gun 
by his side. They were not disturbed. 

The next da^ Joseph was tried in court. Two able 
men defended him. They proved to the judge that 
Joseph had not done any ]iarm, and the Prophet 
was set free. 



JOSEPH OPPOSED BY HIS BRETHREN. 

The Lord had given Joseph a number of revela- 
tions. He and his wife Emma had written them. 
While reading one of these revelations, Oliver 
Cowdery thought he saw a mistake. He wrote at 
once to the Prophet, telling him to change certain 
words. 

Joseph felt very sorry when he read the letter. 
He knew that what he had written was true. It had 
come from the Lord, and he would not change it. 

A few days later Joseph went from Harmony to 
Fayette, to see Oliver Cowdery. Oliver was staying 
with the Whitmer family. He had led the Whitmers 
to believe that Joseph had made a mistake. They 
did not feel as kindly toward the Prophet as before. 
Joseph tried to reason with them, but they would 
not listen to him. 



49 

The Prophet prayed to the Lord to help him. Soon 
after that Oliver Cowdery and the WJritmers saw 
that they were wrong. They felt sorry for what 
they had done, and asked Joseph to forgive them, 
which he did. Then Joseph went back to Harmony, 
to the home of his father-in-law, Mr. Hale. 

WJiat a change he found there! While he had 
been at Fayette a wicked minister had visited the 
Hale family. He told them evil things about the 
Prophet. His stories were false, but the IJales be- 
lieved them. Prom that time Mr. Hale and his family 
turned against Joseph, and opposed him and his 
work. 

At this time Newel Knight and his wife came to 
visit the Prophet. It wag, decided to hold a meeting. 
Joseph went out to buy wine for the Sacrament. On 
the way he was stopped by a heavenly messenger. 
The angel told him not to buy any more wine from 
his enemies. The Saints were to make their own 
wine. If they could not do that, then water would 



50 

be just as acceptable to the Lord. This explains the 
reason why we use water instead of wine in the 
Sacrament. 

Joseph returned to the house. A little pure wine 
was made. Then a meeting was held and the Sacra- 
ment administered. There were only five persons 
present, but the Lord blessed them, and they had a 
happy time together. At that meeting Emma Smith 
and Mrs. Knight were confirmed members of the 
Church. 

Soon after that, Joseph, his brother, Hyrum, John 
and David Whitmer set out to visit the Church at 
Colesville. There were many wicked men in that 
place. It was there that Joseph had been chased by 
a mob. 

The Prophet and his brethren prayed to the Lord 
to take care of them, and He did. On the way to 
Colesville, Joseph and his companions passed a large 
number of men working on the road. Several of 
them were bitter enemies of tjhe Prophet. They 



51 

were looking out for him. But the Lord caused 
something to come over their eyes, so that when 
Joseph came up to them they did not know him. 

The brethren reached Colesville in safety. A 
meeting was held at the home of Mr. Knight. A 
number of persons who had been baptized were con- 
firmed. The members of the Church partook of the 
Sacrament. Then they all listened with delight while 
the Prophet and others preached to them. 

The next day the mob heard that Joseph was at 
the home of Mr. Knight. They rushed to the place 
and demanded that the Prophet and his companions 
be turned out. Mr. Knight told them they had come 
too late, that Joseph and his brethren had left for 
Harmony several hours before. 

In that time of trouble Joseph found a friend in 
Peter Whitmer. This good man invited the Prophet 
and his family to come and make their home with 
him in Fayette, and they did so. 

There was a member of the Church at Fayette 



52 

named Hyrum Page. He was leading some of the 
Saints astray. He had a strange stone, by which he 
received revelations. But they had not come from 
the Lord. They were given by the evil one. 

Joseph talked and prayed with the brethren. They 
saw that the revelations which Hyrum Page had re- 
ceived were not true. At that time the Lord gave a 
revelation to Oliver Cowdery through the Prophet 
Joseph Smith. He told Oliver that no one had been 
appointed to receive revelations for the Church 
except Joseph the Prophet. That settled the matter, 
and peace was restored. 

Before closing this chapter, I wish to say to my 
young readers: There is only one man on the earth 
at a time appointed to receive revelations for the 
Church. That man is the President of the Church. 



MISSION TO THE LAMANITES. 

While the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdery 
were translating the Book of Mormon they found 
many things which gave them great joy. Among 
them were glorious promises made by the Lord to 
the Lamanites, or Indians. The Book of Mormon 
would be taken to them. It would tell them where 
they came from, and the great things which the Lord 
had done for their forefathers. They would also 
learn the Gospel, and in the course of time many of 
their race would become white. 

Joseph enquired of the Lord about these things. 
He was told that the time was near at hand when the 
Lamanites would also have the Gospel preached to 
them. The Lord was preparing men for that mission. 

One of these was a man named Parley P. Pratt. 



54 

He and his wife lived in a little home in the wilder- 
ness, near Cleveland, Ohio. They were good peox>lc. 
Some time before, a young preacher named Sidney 
Rigdon had visited them. Mr. Pratt became a mem- 
ber of his church. Then he decided to give up farm- 
ing and become a preacher. He sold all his goods, 
and started with his wife for New York, to visit 
relatives there. On reaching Newark, Mr. Pratt felt 
impressed to stop there, but Mrs. Pratt continued her 
journey. Why he should stop, he could not tell. He 
soon learned the reason. 

At Newark, Parley P. Pratt first heard of the 
Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. He 
wondered if what he had heard of them was true. He 
would try to find out for himself. 

For this purpose he went to the home of the Smith 
family, near Manchester, New York. There he 
learned from Hyrum Smith the truth about the whole 
matter. His heart was filled with joy as he listened 
to the glad tidings. 



55 

He and Hyrum then went to Fayette, where Mr. 
Pratt was introduced to Oliver Cowdery. He told 
Oliver he believed that Joseph Smith was a Prophet 
of God, and that the Book of Mormon was a true 
record. He wanted to become a member of the 
Church, so Oliver took him to Seneca Lake and bap- 
tized him. 

After his baptism, Brother Pratt was ordained an 
Elder. He then continued his journey to the home 
of his parents. He had a brother named Orson. He 
told him about the Prophet Joseph Smith, and the 
great work he was doing. Orson believed the good 
news, and his brother Parley baptized him. 

After a brief visit with his folks, Parley returned 
to Payette. There he had the pleasure of meeting 
the Prophet Joseph. A conference of the Church 
was held, which lasted three days. The Saints were 
greatly blessed, and a number of people were con- 
verted and baptized. 

At that time the Lord called Oliver Cowdery, 



56 

Peter Whitmer, Jr., Ziba Peterson, and Parley P. 
Pratt to go on a mission to the Lamanites. Starting 
without delay, they journeyed towards Kirtland, 
Ohio, and preached the Gospel to the people in the 
villages along the way. 

On nearing Kirtland, they came to the home of 
the young preacher, Sidney Rigdon. Brother Pratt 
told him all that had happened since they parted. 
Mr. Rigdon gave the brethren permission to preach 
in his chapel. He and his wife and a large number 
of his congregation were baptized. A branch of the 
Church was organized in that part of Ohio. 

The missionaries then went to Kirtland, where 
they met with great success. Many people were 
converted, and a branch of the Church was organ- 
ized. 

After staying a short time in Kirtland, the 
brethren continued their journey. On coming to a 
tribe of Indians called the Wyandots, they stopped 
and preached the Gospel to them. Then they went 



57 

on to Independence, a small town in Jackson county, 
Missouri. From there they passed into the State of 
Kansas, where they spent some time preaching to 
the Delaware Indians. 

Since then the Gospel has been preached to thou- 
sands of the Lamanites. Hundreds of them have 
accepted it, and have become members of the Church. 
And thus some of the promises made to them in the 
Book of Mormon have been fulfilled. 



THE FIRST BISHOP CHOSEN-GATHERING 
OF THE SAINTS TO OHIO. 

In the month of December, 1830, two men came 
from Kirtland to see the Prophet. They found him 
at the home of his parents, near Fayette. One of 
these men was Sidney Rigdon, the young preacher 
who had joined the Church a short time before. The 
other was Edward Partridge. 

After talking with the Prophet a short time, Mr. 
Partridge requested baptism. He was taken to 
Seneca L<ake and there /baptised by the Prophet 
Joseph. On the 4th day of February, 1831, Elder 
Partridge was appointed by revelation to be the 
first Bishop of the Church. 

The Saints in the State of New York were being 
persecuted by their enemies. The Prophet Joseph 



59 

visited them, and his presence gave them great joy. 
The Lord was watching over His people, and was 
preparing a place for them to move to. 

On the 2nd day of February, 1831, the third con- 
ference of the Church was held at Fayette. It was 
a time of rejoicing for the Saints. They were prom- 
ised many choice blessings from the Lord. They 
were told about a revelation which the Prophet Jos- 
eph had received a short time before. In that reve- 
lation the Saints were commanded to leave the State 
of New York and gather to Ohio. This they agreed 
to do as soon as possible. 

Soon after the conference, Joseph, accompanied 
by his wife and several brethren, began the journey 
to Kirtland. They stopped at a number of places 
on the way and held meetings. Through the preach- 
ing of the Prophet and his brethren many people 
were added to the Church. 

On arriving in Kirtland, the company stopped in 
front of a store. Joseph got out of the sleigh and 



60 

went into the building. GToing up to Mr. Whitney, 
a member of the firm, he offered him his hand, saying, 
" Newel K. Whitney! Thou art the man!" 

Mr. Whitney looked quite surprised. He did not 
know the stranger. "You have the advantage of 
me," he said, as he shook Joseph's hand. "I could 
not call you by name as you have me." 

Then Joseph said, "I am Joseph the Prophet. 
You have prayed me here, now what do you want 
of me?" 

One evening, a short time before this, Mr. Whit- 
ney and his wife were praying to the Lord. While 
doing so they saw a bright cloud resting upon their 
house. Then they heard a voice from heaven, saying, 
" Prepare to receive the word of the Lord, for it is 
coming." 

While Joseph was in the East, in a vision he saw 
them praying. That is why he knew Mr. Whitney. 

Mr. Whitney took Joseph and his wife to his home. 
They stayed there several weeks, and were very 



61 

kindly treated. The Whitneys afterwards joined 
the Church. 

The following spring, all the branches of the 
Church in the State of New York removed to Ohio. 



THE FOUNDATION OP ZION LAID. 

In June, 1831, the fourth general conference was 
held in Kirtland. A little over a year before, the 
Church had been organized with six members. It 
now numbered two thousand. 

The Prophet Joseph presided at the conference. 
It was a time of rejoicing for the Saints. The Lord 
poured out His Spirit upon them, and they saw and 
heard wonderful things. Joseph was filled with the 
spirit of prophecy. He said that John the Revela- 
tor was at that time with the Lost Tribes, preparing 
them for their return to the land of their fathers. 

At this conference a number of missionaries were 
chosen, and sent out two by two to preach the Gospel. 
The Lord told the Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cow- 
dery to go to the land of Missouri. He said that, if 



63 

they proved faithful, He would reveal to them the 
place where the City of Zion, the New Jerusalem, 
would be built. 

With this promise in mind, Joseph and a number 
of his brethren left Kirtland, on the 19th of June, 
1831. They traveled by wagon and stage to Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio. From there they went by steamer to 
Louisville, Kentucky. At that place they had to wait 
three days for a vessel to take them to St. Louis. 
After resting a short time in St. Louis, Joseph and 
four of his companions started to walk across the 
entire State of Missouri. After traveling almost 
three hundred miles, they arrived in Independence. 
Here they were joined by Oliver Cowdery and 
a number of other missionaries. The meeting was 
a joyful one, for Joseph had not seen his brethren 
since they started on their mission to the Lamanites. 

Soon after the arrival of the Prophet and his party 
in Jackson county, Missouri, the Lord fulfilled His 
promise. He made known the place where the City 



64 

of Zion would be established, which is where Inde- 
pendence is now built. He commanded the Saints 
to purchase the land in and around there and to 
gather to that place as soon as possible. He also re- 
vealed the spot where a great Temple would be 
built to His name. 

A few days later the Saints of the Colesville branch 
arrived in Independence. They viewed with delight 
the land of Zion. It was, indeed, a beautiful place. 
Miles and miles of rich prairie land stretched before 
them. Wild flowers of almost every kind filled the air 
with their sweet perfume. There were large forests of 
choice timber. Buffalo, elk, deer, bear, wolves, bea- 
ver, and many smaller animals roamed round at 
pleasure. There was also a great variety of wild 
fowl, including turkeys, geese, swans and ducks. 

On the 2nd day of August, 1831, the Prophet Jos- 
eph assisted the members of the Colesville Branch in 
laying the first log for a house, as a foundation of 
Zion. This took place in Kaw township, about 12 



65 

miles west of Independence. The log was carried 
by twelve men, in honor of the Twelve Tribes of 
Israel. Then the land of Zion was dedicated b}^ 
Sidney Rigdon as a gathering place of the Saints. 

The next day Joseph, accompanied by Sidney Rig- 
don, Edward Partridge, W. W. Phelps, Oliver 
Cowdery, Martin Harris, and Joseph Coe went to a 
spot a little west of Independence, and there the 
Prophet dedicated it as the site for the Temple of 
the Lord. 

The first conference of the Church in the land of 
Zion was held on the 4th day of August, 1831, at the 
home of Brother Joshua Lewis. On the 19th of the 
same month the Prophet and ten of his brethren took 
leave of the Saints and started for Kirtland, arriv- 
ing there August 27. They had been absent a little 
over two months, and had traveled two thousand 
miles. 



A TERRIBLE NIGHT. 

The Prophet Joseph and Sidney Rigdon were 
spending all their time in the work of the Lord. They 
were not getting any money for their labor. But 
they had friends who were kind to them and helped 
them. 

One of these was a man named John Johnson, who 
lived at Hiram, Ohio. He took Joseph and Sidney 
to his home, and kept them and their families 
while they attended to certain work for the Church. 

Emma Smith, the Prophet's wife, had adopted 
two little babies. They were twins, and were just 
eleven months old. They became very sick. Joseph 
and Emma watched over them with tender care. At 
night Joseph took charge of them while Emma slept. 



67 

Then she took her turn beside the sick-bed while her 
husband rested. 

One night Mrs. Smith was almost worn out. Joseph 
told her to go to bed. He said he would sit up and 
take care of the child that was much worse than 
the other. As I write, I fancv I can see the Prophet 
watching beside the cot of the little sufferer, and 
praying for its recovery. 

At last the baby fell asleep, and Joseph lay down 
upon his bed. In a little while he was asleep, too. 

But what do you think had been going on outside ? 
While Joseph was watching over the sick child, a 
mob of wicked men had gathered and were laying 
plans to kill him. 

In the mob were a number of men who had left 
the Church. They had lost the Spirit of the Lord, 
and the spirit of the evil one had entered into them. 
They hated the Prophet and his work, and were try- 
ing to destroy them. 

The mob came up to Mr. Johnson's place. They 



68 

burst into the house, and seizing Joseph, dragged him 
out into a meadow. Emma screamed, but she could 
not help her husband. Others of the mob laid hold 
of Sidney Rigdon and dragged him out, too. 

Some of the wicked men wanted the Prophet to be 
killed. Others said, "No, we will not kill him, but 
we will tar and feather him." 

Several of the mob held Joseph while others cov- 
ered his body with tar. One of them tried to force 
the tar paddle into his mouth, but he ker>t his teeth 
tightly closed. Then they thrust a bottle of poison 
between his lips, but the bottle broke and the poison 
was spilled upon the ground. 

When they had finished their awful work they ran 
away. Joseph was so weak that he could not stand. 
After a time he got strength, and made his way back 
to the house. There he found Brother Rigdon suf- 
fering terribly from the injuries he had received. 
Joseph spent the rest of the night getting the tar off 
his body. 



69 

The next day was Sunday. A meeting was held. 
The Prophet attended it and preached to the people. 
Several of the mob were in the meeting, but Joseph 
did not say anything about the mobbing. At the 
close of the service three persons were baptized. 
Soon after that Joseph and Sidney, with their fami- 
lies, moved from Hiram. 



WHAT HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO 
KIRTLAND. 

From Hiram, Ohio, the Prophet Joseph went to 
Missouri, to visit the Saints. Sidney Rigdon, Newel 
K. Whitney, Peter Whitmer and Jesse Gause went 
with him. They stayed there two weeks. During 
that time meetings were held, and the members of 
the Church had a delightful time. 

Then Joseph decided to go to Kirtland, where his 
wife was. Newel K. Whitney and Sidney Rigdon 
accompanied him. There was no railroad in that 
part of the country. Most of the journey had to be 
made by stage. 

One day a sad accident took place. The horses 
became frightened and ran away. Joseph jumped 
out of the stage. Newel K. Whitney also sprang 



71 

out, but in doing so his foot caught in the wheel and 
his leg and foot were broken in several places. 

Joseph helped Brother Whitney to a house owned 
by a man named Porter. They stayed there four 
weeks. During that time the Prophet administered 
often to his companion, which helped the sufferer 
very much. 

The Porters were wicked people. One day they 
tried to kill the Prophet by putting poison in his food. 
Joseph had just finished his dinner. He felt a strange 
feeling come over him. He went outside and threw 
up much poisonous matter. That saved his life. 

He returned to the house and told Newel what had 
happened. Brother Whitney laid his hands upon 
the head of the Prophet and prayed for him. His 
prayer was answered, and Joseph was healed. 

They decided to leave the place at once. Newel 
wondered how they could get away. Joseph told 
him the Lord would provide means. The next morn- 
ing a wagon drove up to the door. Joseph and Newel 



72 

got into it and rode four miles to the river. There 
they found a ferryboat, on which they crossed to 
the other side. A carriage was waiting. They got 
into it and were driven to a boat which took them 
to Wellsville. From there they went by stage to 
Kirtland. 

One day soon after Joseph had returned to Kirt- 
land he was visited by three men. One of them was 
Brigham Young. This was the first time these men 
had met the Prophet. Brigham Young had been 
baptized into the Church about two months before. 

The visiting brethren stayed in Kirtland four or 
five days. They saw and talked with the Prophet 
often. 

One evening a meeting was held. Brigham Young 
arose and greatly surprised all present by speaking 
in a strange language. He had received from the 
Lord the gift of tongues. The Prophet Joseph was 
given the interpretation, and he told the people what 
Brother Youngs had said. 



73 

One day before Brighani Young left Kirtland Jos- 
eph pointed to him, saying: "That man will yet 
preside over this Church. " You all know how that 
prophecy was fulfilled. 



WORK OF A MISSOURI MOB. 

The Church was organized on the 6th day of April, 
1830. Three years later the Saints in Missouri met 
to celebrate its birthday. They were very happy. A 
glorious time was spent, and with joyful hearts the 
brethren and sisters returned to their homes. They 
had no thought at that time that in a little while 
their joy would be turned into sorrow. 

Soon after this a mob of three hundred wicked 
men gathered at Independence. They hated the 
Saints, and had made up their minds to drive them 
from their homes and destroy the Church there. 

But they did not succeed at that time. The lead- 
ing brethren at Independence met together and 
prayed to the Lord to protect His people. Their 
prayer was answered. The mob became drunken, 



75 

quarreled among themselves, and broke up without 
doing any harm to the Saints. 

Three months passed, and then fresh trouble came 
to the Saints in Missouri. Five hundred men, 
enemies of the Church, met at Independence, on the 
20th of July, 1833. They decided that from that time 
no Latter-day Saint should be permitted to settle in 
Jackson county; that the twelve hundred Saints who 
were there should leave, and that the Church paper 
— The Evening and Morning Star — should no longer 
be published. 

A committee was appointed to call on the leading 
brethren and to tell them what had been decided at 
the meeting. You can imagine how the members of 
the Church felt when they heard the report. What 
was to be done? The brethren asked for ten days in 
which to think over the matter. The answer they 
received was, "Fifteen minutes are enough." 

The committee returned and reported. The 
enemies of the Saints refused to wait. Headed by 



76 

a red flag, they went to the home of Elder Wm. W. 
Phelph, where the Church paper was published, tore 
the printing office to the ground and carried away 
the type, press, and other things. Sister Phelps, with 
a sick babe in her arms, was turned out into the 
street. The mob then took Bishop Partridge and 
Elder Charles Allen to the courthouse, where they 
stripped them of their clothing and covered their 
bodies with tar and feathers. 

The Lieutenant Governor of the State, Lilburn W. 
Boggs, was present and saw what took place. In- 
stead of protecting the Saints, he made mock of them 
in their trouble, saying, "You now know what our 
Jackson boys can do, and you must leave the coun- 
try." 

Night came, and the wicked men, well pleased with 
what they had done, returned to their homes. 

Three days later the mob met again. The Saints 
saw they were at the mercy of these wicked men. It 
would be a great trial to them to leave the houses 



77 

and lands for which they had worked so hard. But 
by refusing to go they would bring upon themselves 
greater trouble — perhaps the loss of many lives. 

They told the mob that one-half of their number 
would leave Missouri the 1st of the following Janu- 
ary, and that the rest would follow the 1st of the 
next April. Their enemies agreed to this, and told 
the Saints they would not trouble them any more. 



THE SAINTS DRIVEN PROM JACKSON 
COUNTY. 

On hearing what the mob had done, Governor 
Dunklin advised the Saints to have their enemies 
arrested and tried by law. They decided to do so. 
They hired four lawyers at one thousand dollars to 
plead their cause in court. 

When the enemies of the Saints heard this they 
became very angry. About fifty of them met and 
held a meeting. They were armed with guns and 
clubs. They decided to attack a little branch of the 
Church which was on the west bank of the Big Blue 
River, and destroy the homes of the Saints there. 

When night came these wicked men went to the 
little settlement. All was peace and quiet. The 
Saints were asleep. Suddenly the doors of their 



79 

homes were burst open, and the mob began its cruel 
work. The mothers and children were frightened 
almost to death. They ran screaming from their 
homes and hid themselves among the bushes. The 
husbands and fathers tried to escape, but failed. They 
were caught by the mob, and were badly beaten with 
clubs and other weapons. 

When their enemies had left, the women and chil- 
dren crept from their hiding places. They made 
their way back towards their humble homes, but 
found some of them in ruins. These are some of the 
things which the Saints in those days suffered be- 
cause they would not deny the truth. 

Night after night the work of destruction was 
carried on. The mob broke into the store owned by 
Gilbert and Whitney, threw some of the goods into 
the street, and carried much away. 

A few days later the mob decided to make another 
attack upon the Saints at Independence. A number 
of the brethren armed themselves with guns. They 



80 

felt that it was right for them to protect themselves, 
their wives and children. There were sixty wicked 
men in the mob. When they came to the place where 
the Saints were they fired upon them, wounding 
several. Two of the brethren, Andrew Barber and 
Philo Dibble, were seriously wounded. Brother 
Dibble recovered, but Brother Barber died the next 
day. He laid down his life for his friends. 

The mob was stopped in its deadly work by the 
guns of the Saints. When the mob opened fire, some 
of the brethren who had guns used them. Two of 
their enemies fell dead. The rest became frightened 
and ran away, leaving their horses and dead com- 
panions. 

A report of the battle soon spread over the coun- 
try. Then followed a time of great excitement. 
Wicked falsehoods were told about the Saints. It 
was said they were going to drive the rest of the 
people out of the country. Instead of that it was the 
Saints who were about to be driven. 



81 

One of the bitterest enemies of the Saints was 
Lieutenant-Governor Boggs. What do you think he 
did at this time? He organized a company of the 
state militia, which many of the mob joined, and 
placed Colonel Pitcher, as wicked a man as himself, 
in charge. 

Pitcher ordered the Saints to deliver up their guns, 
and to leave the country at once. He deceived them 
by telling them that their enemies would have to give 
up their weapons also. He also told the Saints he 
would give them protection. 

The members of the Church had been taught to 
obe}^ the laws of the land, and to be subject to those 
in authority. They, therefore, turned over their 
weapons. 

Then a mob of human fiends attacked their homes. 
They drove out helpless women and children, and 
threatened to take their lives if they did not leave 
the country. Frightened almost to death, the poor 
Saints fled in all directions. Some of them stayed 



82 

all night on the open prairie, while others sought 
protection along the banks of the Missouri River. 

When the Prophet heard what had taken place, he 
burst into tears. "Oh, my brethren, my brethren," 
he sobbed, " would that I had been with you to share 
your fate." 



ZION'S CAMP. 

The Saints who were driven from Jackson county 
settled in Clay, Van Buren and Lafayette counties. 
They were very kindly treated by the citizens of 
Clay county. 

The Prophet Joseph prayed often to the Lord for 
them. He was told in a revelation to organize a 
company to assist them, and to try to get their 
homes restored to them. He organized the company 
and gave it the name Zion's Camp. 

The company left Kirtland on the 5th of May, 
1834. It was led by the Prophet Joseph. There 
were about one hundred and fifty men in the party. 
They had twenty wagons filled with food and cloth- 
ing for their poor brethren and sisters in Missouri. 
Nearly all the brethren had to walk. Sometimes they 



84 

traveled forty miles in a day. They rested Sundays 
and held meetings. 

Each night at the sound of a trumpet the men 
went to their tents. They knelt down and thanked 
the Lord for His blessings. They also prayed for 
the dear ones they had left behind. In the morn- 
ing when the trumpet sounded, the men of the camp 
knelt upon the ground and asked the Lord to take 
care of them during the day. 

One evening, when some of the brethren were put- 
ting up the Prophet's tent, they saw three rattle- 
snakes. They were about to kill them when Joseph 
stopped them. "Men must become harmless them- 
selves," he said, "before they can expect the brute 
creation to be so.' ? 

A few days later one of the company, Solomon 
Humphrey, lay down on the prairie to rest. While 
he slept, a large rattlesnake coiled itself up near his 
head. When Brother Humphrey awoke and saw the 
serpent, he said to some of the brethren who would 



85 

have killed it, "No, I will protect him, for he and 
I have had a good nap together." The rattlesnake's 
life was spared. 

The journey to Missouri was a very trying one. 
At times the men had to wade through rivers and 
struggle through swamps. With bruised and bleed- 
ing feet they traveled over hills and sandy plains. 
Because of these trials some of them began to mur- 
mur. Joseph spoke kindly to them. He pleaded 
with them to stop finding fault, and to humble them- 
selves before the Lord. He said the Lord had re- 
vealed to him that if they did not do so, a scourge 
would come upon the camp. 

After traveling a little over a month, Joseph and 
his brethren arrived at Salt River, in the State of 
Missouri. Here they were joined by another party 
which Hyrurn Smith and Lyman Wight had gathered 
in the State of Michigan and other places. There 
were now two hundred and five men and twenty-five 
wagons in Zion's Camp. 



86 

After resting several days at Salt River, the Camp 
proceeded on its journey. On hearing of the coming 
of Joseph and his brethren, a mob of wicked men 
started to raise an army to attack them. The leaders 
of the mob were Samuel C. Owens and James Camp- 
bell. As Campbell placed his pistols in his belt he 
said he would fix Joe Smith and his army before two 
days were past. 

He did not live to carry out his threat. That night, 
as twelve of the mob were trying to cross the Missouri 
River, the boat sank and seven men were 
drowned. Campbell was one of them. In seeking 
the lives of others, he lost his own. 



HOW THE LORD PROTECTED HIS PEOPLE. 

The members of Zion's Camp were in great dan- 
ger. They were surrounded by wicked men who had 
made up their minds to murder them. And they 
would, no doubt, have done so, if the Lord had not 
prevented them. 

On the night of June 19, 1834, Joseph and his 
party passed safely through the town of Richmond. 
They camped between two branches of Pising River. 
They were getting ready to lie down to rest when 
five rough men, with loaded guns, appeared before 
them. "You shall not live to see morning," they 
said. "Sixty men are coming from Richmond, and 
seventy more from Clay county, to utterly destroy 
you." 

How easy it is for the Lord to overthrow the plans 



88 

of wicked men. You remember reading in the Bible 
how He saved the children of Israel from the Egyp- 
tians. Well, in much the same way He saved the 
members of Zion's Camp. 

That night a terrible storm arose. The lightning- 
flashed, the thunder rolled, and rain came down in 
torrents. Some of the mob said afterwards that 
Little Pishing River rose thirty feet in thirty min- 
utes. The awful storm filled the enemies of the Saints 
with fear. They fled in all directions, trying to find 
shelter. One of their number was struck by light- 
ning and killed. 

Where were the members of Zion's Camp all this 
time ? They were safe and dry in a schoolhouse. How 
grateful they all felt! From the heart of each one 
there went up a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord 
for His protecting care. 

Two days later, three leading men of Ray county 
came to see the Prophet. He received them kindly. 
One of them said, "We see that there is an Almighty 



CD 




89 

power that protects this people." He told Joseph 
that he was leading an armed mob against him and 
his party when the storm burst upon them and drove 
them back. 

The Prophet told them the mission of Zion's Camp. 
He said they were carrying food and clothing to their 
poor brethren and sisters who had been driven from 
their homes in Independence. They had no thought 
of doing harm to anyone. 

Before Joseph had finished speaking the three 
men were shedding tears. They offered the 
Prophet their hands, and told him they would do 
all in their power to stop the cruel work of the 
enemies of the Saints. 

Soon after this, Zion's Camp was disbanded. Tak- 
ing a few faithful brethren with him, Joseph went to 
Independence. He felt very sorrowful as he looked 
upon the lands from which his people had been 
driven. They were then in the hands of their enemies. 
But he was made glad on remembering what the 



90 

Lord had told him in a revelation a short time be- 
fore — that the day would come when Zion would be 
redeemed, and the Saints would again possess the 
land. 

After visiting several days among the members 
of the Church, Joseph returned to Kirtland. 



THE BOOK OF ABRAHAM. 

For three years the Church had peace. The Saints 
made good use of the time. The Lord had command- 
ed them to build a Temple in Kirtland. There were 
only thirty families of Saints in that place. They 
were very poor, and they had to make great sacrifices 
in order to build the Temple. The Prophet Joseph 
worked in the stone quarry, and his brother Hyrum 
also labored faithfully on the sacred building. 

The Lord had revealed to the Prophet Joseph that 
Twelve Apostles should be called to preach the Gos- 
pel, and to assist the First Presidency in presiding 
over the Church. The time had now come for these 
men to be chosen. They were selected from the 
members of Zion's Camp. Their names were: 
Thomas B. Marsh, David W. Patten, Brigham 



92 

Young, Heber C. Kimball, William Smith, Orson 
Pratt, Orson Hyde, William E. McLellin, Parley P. 
Pratt, Luke Johnson, John F. Boynton and Lyman 
E. Johnson. 

A few days later the First Quorum of Seventy 
was organized. Soon after their ordination the 
Apostles were called to go on missions. They travel- 
ed like the early Apostles — without purse or scrip. 
They were blessed of the Lord. Kind friends took 
care of them, and through their preaching many 
were brought into the Church. 

One day a French traveler, Mr. Michael H. Chand- 
ler, came to Kirtland to see the Prophet. He had 
with him four mummies and some rolls of papyrus. 
These had been found in Thebes, Egypt, by Mr. 
Chandler's uncle. 

Mr. Chandler had shown the mummies and papyrus 
to learned men in Philadelphia. They were able to 
translate only a few of the characters which were 
upon the parchment. On hearing of Joseph Smith, 



93 

and that he was able to translate strange writings, 
Mr. Chandler brought the mummies and manuscript 
to him. 

Joseph examined the characters upon the parch- 
ment, and to his surprise and delight found they had 
been written by Abraham. By the power of God he 
translated some of the characters, and Mr. Chandler 
said it was much better than the learned men of 
Philadelphia had done. 

Some friends of the Prophet bought the mummies 
and parchment from Mr. Chandler. Joseph translated 
the writing which was upon the parchment. Then 
it was printed in a book. You can find it in "The 
Pearl of Great Price." It is called "The Book of 
Abraham." 



REMARKABLE VISIONS IN KIRTLAND 
TEMPLE. 

For three years the Saints worked faithfully on 
the Kirtland Temple. At the end of that time the 
sacred building was finished and dedicated. The 
dedication took place on the 27th of March, 1836. 

One day, about two months before the dedication, 
the Prophet Joseph, his two counselors, Sidney 
Rigdon and Frederick G. Williams and the Prophet's 
father went to the Temple. There Father Smith 
was anointed as the Patriarch of the Church. He 
anointed and blessed Joseph and his counselors. Just 
then a wonderful thing took place. The heavens were 
opened and a glorious vision was given to the Pro- 
phet. He saw the celestial kingdom, and beheld its 
glory. He saw a beautiful throne, on which were 



95 

seated the Father and the Son. He also saw fathers 
Adam and Abraham, and was told things which you 
will learn as you grow older. 

Joseph's father and the other brethren were also 
greatly blessed of the Lord. Some of them beheld 
the Savior, and others saw holy angels. They re- 
joiced and praised the Lord for the glorious things 
they had seen and heard. 

The evening of the dedication Joseph met with the 
quorums of the Priesthood in the Temple. While 
Brother George A. Smith was speaking, a noise was 
heard like the rushing of a strong wind. The whole 
congregation arose at once. Some spoke in tongues, 
others prophesied and others saw heavenly visions. 
The Temple was filled with angels. People outside 
heard the strange sound, and came running to the 
Temple. They beheld a bright light, like a pillar of 
fire, resting above the sacred building. 

On Sunday, the 3rd of April, 1836, while the 
Prophet Joseph and Oliver Cowdery were praying in 



96 

the Temple a remarkable vision was given to them. 
They saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of 
the pulpit. His eyes were as a flame of fire. His 
hair was white as pure snow, and His face was 
brighter than the sun. He spoke to Joseph and 
Oliver, saying: 

"I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I 
am he who was slain, I am your advocate with the 
Father; 

" Behold, your sins are forgiven you, you are clean 
before me, therefore lift up your heads and rejoice. 

"Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let 
the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have with 
their might built this house to my name. 

"For behold, I have accepted this house, and my 
name shall be here, and I will manifest myself to my 
people in mercy in this house; 

"Yea, I will appear unto my servants, and speak 
unto them with mine own voice, if my people will 



97 

keep my commandments, and do not pollute this holy 
house. 

"Yea, the hearts of thousands and tens of thou- 
sands shall greatly rejoice in consequence of the 
blessings which shall be poured out, and the en- 
dowment with which my servants have been en- 
dowed in this house; 

"And the fame of this house shall spread to for- 
eign lands, and this is the beginning of the blessing 
which shall be poured out upon the heads of my 
people. Even so. Amen." 

The word of the Lord has been fulfilled. The fame 
of the Kirtland Temple has spread into foreign lands, 
and people of many nations have heard of the won- 
derful visions and revelations which were given in 
that holy place. 

After the vision of the Savior, Moses, Elias and 
Elijah appeared to Joseph and Oliver. Moses gave 
them authority to gather the people of the Lord from 
the nations of the earth, and Elijah revealed to them 



98 

the work for the dead. This work is now being done 
in the Temples, and the dead as well as the living 
are receiving the blessings of the Gospel. 



THE BRITISH MISSION OPENED. 

No greater work was ever done by mortal man than 
by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Tens of thousands of 
people in this land praise his name for the blessings 
they have received through him. As you know, it 
was through Joseph the Gospel was restored. The 
Gospel was taken to the lands in which the British 
people lived. They received it, and it has brought to 
them peace^ joy and happiness such as they never 
had before. 

That is not all. Man}" of them were found in the 
depths of poverty. But the Lord opened the way for 
them to come to Zion, where they have been blessed 
with houses and lands, orchards and vineyards, and 
now live surrounded with j)eace and plenty. 

In the year 1837 the Lord revealed to the Prophet 



100 

Joseph that missionaries should be sent to Great 
Britain. Apostle Heber C. Kimball was chosen to 
take charge of this work. A better selection could 
not have been made. Elder Kimball was a man of 
strong faith. He loved the Gospel. It had brought 
such joy to his soul that he was willing to make any 
sacrifice to carry the glad tidings to others. 

Apostle Orson Hyde and Elders Willard Richards 
and Joseph Fielding were called to go with Brother 
Kimball. On reaching New York they were joined 
by three brethren from Canada. The company sailed 
from the United States on the 1st of July, 1837, on 
the ship Garrick, and on the 20th of the same month 
arrived in Liverpool, England. 

The missionaries decided to go to Preston, a town 
about thirty miles from Liverpool. Elder Fielding- 
had a brother, a minister, living at that place. On 
getting out of the coach at Preston, one of the first 
things the brethren saw was a large flag, on which 
were the words, " Truth will prevail." Just 



101 

three simple words, but they filled the hearts of the 
servants of the Lord with hope and courage. 

The Sunday morning after the arrival of the mis- 
sionaries in Preston, the Reverend Mr. Fielding told 
the members of his church assembled in meeting that 
some ministers from America would preach in his 
chapel that afternoon. You can imagine how glad 
the brethren felt. Elders Kimball and Hyde ad- 
dressed the meeting in the afternoon. They told the 
people about the Prophet Joseph Smith, and some 
of the wonderful things which the Lord had revealed 
to him. 

Another meeting was held in the evening, and one 
on the following Wednesday night. Some of the mem- 
bers of Mr. Fielding's church were beginning to be- 
lieve the teachings of the Elders. That displeased 
the minister, and he told the missionaries he would 
not allow them to preach in his chapel any more. They 
met, however, in the homes of some of the people, and 



102 

at the end of a week nine persons were baptized into 
the Church. 

One morning, soon after that, the missionaries 
were attacked by evil spirits. Their room was filled 
with them. Brother Kimball was sorely afflicted. 
The brethren prayed to the Lord to deliver them. He 
rebuked the evil spirits, and the brethren had peace. 

The Lord blessed the labors of His faithful serv- 
ants, so that in five months one thousand people were 
converted and made members of the true Church. 
This was the beginning of the great latter-day work 
in England. 



THE BAUN'S MILL MASSACRE. 

While a glorious work was being done for the 
Church in England, it was having a very hard time 
at home. It had not only foes without but foes with- 
in. A number of its leading men did things that 
were wrong, and they were cut off from member- 
ship in the Church. Some of them turned against 
the work of the Lord and tried to destroy it . 

It was a terrible time for the Saints in Missouri. 
Each day brought them fresh trouble. Their enemies 
had made up their minds to either destroy them or 
drive them out of the state. 

One day a mob of wicked men entered the little 
town of Be Witt, in Carroll county, where a num- 
ber of the Saints resided. They had guns and can- 
non, and at once opened fire on the town. The Saints 



104 

defended themselves as well as they could. They had 
to stay in their homes for two days. 

Their enemies decided to starve them out. They 
set fire to some of the homes, and killed and roasted 
a number of cattle. When the Saints saw they could 
not hold out any longer they agreed to leave the 
place. The} 7 were promised pay for their homes and 
other property, but they did not receive anything. 
The Saints fled to Far West. But before reaching 
that place some of their number died. One poor 
mother, with a baby a day old, could not stand the 
journey. She died, and had to be buried without a 
coffin. 

Soon after this a wicked mob, led by a scoundrel 
named Bogart, attacked a camp of the Saints on 
Crooked River. They took three of the brethren 
prisoners, and said they would put them to death 
before nightfall. 

Word was sent at once to Far West. Apostle 
David W. Patten quickly gathered fifty men and 



105 

started with them for the scene of the capture. They 
came in sight of Bogart's camp at daybreak. Bo- 
gart's men were hidden behind trees, and as the 
brethren drew near they opened fire on them. In 
the battle which followed Apostle Patten lost his 
life. As he was dying that night, surrounded by the 
Prophet Joseph and a number of friends, he turned 
to his wife and said, " Whatever else you do, do not 
deny the faith." 

Then the whole State of Missouri was aroused. 
Lieutenant-Governor Boggs ordered out two thou- 
sand men, and told them to either kill the "Mor- 
mons" or drive them out of the state. They began 
at once to carry out his instructions. Two hundred 
and forty of them went to a settlement of the Saints 
at Harm's Mill, in Caldwell county, and without a 
moment's warning began to fire upon men, women 
and children. 

The poor Saints pleaded for mercy, but the 
wretches paid no heed to their cries. In a little 



106 

while they had killed seventeen members of the 
Church. There was an old well near by, and the 
bodies of the murdered Saints were thrown into it. 
These good Latter-day Saints laid down their lives 
for the truth's sake, and great shall be their reward 
in heaven. But woe to those who so foully murdered 
them. Better for them if they had never been born. 



THE PROPHET JOSEPH IN RICHMOND JAIL. 

Soon after the terrible massacre at Haun's Mill, a 
large army of mob militia gathered at Richmond. 
From here they marched to within a short distance 
of Far West, where they camped. One morning, a 
few days later, men carrying a white flag were seen 
approaching the City of Far West. They were mem- 
bers of the militia. The white flag was a sign of 
peace. 

Colonel Hinkle went out to meet the men. He 
went back with them to their camp, and there he 
entered into an agreement with the enemies of the 
Saints to deliver the Prophet Joseph and a number 
of the leading brethren into their hands. The name 
of this traitor may well be linked with that of Judas 
Iscariot. 



108 

He returned to Far West and told the Prophet that 
the officers in charge of the militia desired him and 
other leading men to come to their camp that night. 
They wished, he said, to have the difficulties settled. 
Joseph asked Hinkle for the names of the other 
brethren, and he said they were Sidney Eigdon, Par- 
ley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight, and George W. Kobin- 
son. Hinkle assured the Prophet that no harm 
would come to him or his brethren. 

Hinkle accompanied Joseph and his brethren to 
the camp of the militia, and there the true character 
of the traitor was revealed. Addressing General Lu- 
cas he said, " These are the prisoners I agreed to 
deliver up." The whole camp yelled with delight, 
and General Lucas brandished his sword as if he had 
gained a great victory. 

The Prophet and his companions were immediately 
placed in charge of strong guards. They had to lie 
upon the wet ground. They were kept awake all night 
with the mockings, curses and threats of the vile 



109 

wretches in charge of them. The next morning Hyrum 
Smith and Amasa M. Lyman were dragged from 
their families in Far West, and brought into the 
camp. 

It was decided to send the prisoners to Indepen- 
dence. The Saints at Far West were told by the mob 
that they need never expect to see their leaders again, 
for their doom was sealed. However, wmile Joseph 
and his companions were camped at night on Crooked 
River the word of the Lord came to the Prophet 
assuring him that their lives would be spared. 

The next morning Joseph spoke to his fellow- 
prisoners in a low, cheerful tone, saying: "Be of 
good cheer, my brethren, the word of the Lord came 
to me last night that our lives should be given us, 
and that whatever else we might have to suffer during 
this captivity, not one of us should die." 

The prisoners were taken to Independence. A few 
days later General Clark gave orders for them to be 
taken to Eichmond and placed in. jail there. On the 



110 

way the guards got drunk. It would have been easy 
for Joseph and his brethren to have made their 
escape. They knew, however, that they had not 
broken any law. If they were to run away people 
would say they were guilty. All they wanted was a 
fair trial. They knew they could prove their inno- 
cence. The Prophet and his companions took charge 
of the guards' guns and horses, and returned them 
to the guards when the latter became sober. 

On arriving in Richmond the brethren were taken 
to the jail, and there they were bound with chains 
and placed in charge of as vile wretches as ever 
lived. They had to lie upon the bare floor, without 
any covering. 

The Prophet and his friends suffered terribly, not 
only in body but also in spirit. Mght after night 
they had to listen to the vulgar songs and stories, 
the curses and laughter of those who kept guard 
over them. 

One night the wretches were telling with great glee 



Ill 

of the way in which they had treated some of the 
Saints. They boasted of the awful crimes they had 
committed upon mothers and daughters, and that 
they had even killed little children. 

Suddenly the Prophet sprang to his feet, and in a 
voice that almost shook the prison he rebuked the in- 
human monsters. " Silence!" said he, "ye fiends 
of the infernal pit! In the name of Jesus Christ I 
rebuke you and command you to be still; I will not 
live another minute and hear such language. Cease 
such talk, or you or I die this instant!" 

"He ceased speaking. He stood erect in terrible 
majesty. Chained, and without a weapon, calm, un- 
ruffled and dignified as an angel, he looked down 
upon the quailing guards, whose knees smote to- 
gether, and who, shrinking into a corner, or crouch- 
ing at his feet, begged his pardon, and remained 
quiet until change of guards." 



FROM MISSOURI TO ILLINOIS— A DAY OF 
MIRACULOUS HEALINGS. 

I have not told you a hundredth part of the suf- 
ferings of the Saints in Missouri. They were not 
only robbed of their homes, their lands, cattle, etc., 
but between three and four hundred of them — men, 
women and children — were murdered in cold blood. 
Sister Amanda Smith, whose husband and little son 
were murdered at Haun's Mill, says: 

"The mob told us we must leave the state forth- 
with or be killed. It was cold weather, and they had 
our teams and clothes, our men all dead or wounded. 
I told them they might kill me and my children and 
welcome. They sent word to us from time to time, 
saying that if we did not leave the state 
thev would come and kill us. We had little 



113 

prayer meetings. They said if we did not 
stop them they would kill every man, woman 
and child. We had spelling schools for our little 
children. They said if we did not stop these 
they would kill every man, woman and child. We 
(the women) had to do our own milking, cut our own 
wood; no man to help us. I started on the 1st of 
February for Illinois, without money; mobs on the 
way; drove our own teams; slept out of doors. I had 
five small children; we suffered hunger, fatigue and 
cold." 

The people of Illinois had heard of the terrible 
persecutions of the Saints in Missouri. They felt 
sorry for them, and were willing to help them. So, 
on being driven from Missouri, the Saints took up 
their abode in Illinois. There, on the banks of the 
Mississippi River, they founded the beautiful little 
city of Nauvoo. 

After being in prisons for almost six months, 
Joseph and his brethren regained their liberty and 



114 

joined the Saints in Illinois. There was much joy 
among the members of the Church when their be- 
loved Prophet appeared in their midst again. He 
found his family very poor. Their home was a little 
log cabin, but even for it they were thankful . 

Nauvoo was a beautiful place for a city. The 
Mississippi swept around it in a half circle, giving 
the place three fronts upon the noble river. But it 
proved to be an unhealthful place, for soon after the 
Saints had settled there many of them suffered with 
malarial fever. 

The Prophet himself was afflicted and confined to 
his bed; but through the power of the Lord he over- 
came the disease and went forth and began to admin- 
ister to many w r ho were ill. He walked along the 
bank of the river, healing all the sick who lay in his 
path. Going to the tent of Brother Henry G. Sher- 
wood, who was almost at the point of death, he com- 
manded him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 
to arise and be made well. Brother Sherwood was 



115 

healed immediately, and arose and walked out of the 
tent. Joseph, with Elder Heber C. Kimball and 
others, then crossed the river to Montrose. There 
they found several of the Apostles very ill. They 
were also healed, and straightway arose and went 
with the Prophet to administer to other sick persons. 
They first called at the home of Brother Elijah 
Fordham, who it was expected every minute would 
die. Joseph walked up to the dying man, and took 
hold of his right hand and spoke to him; but Brother 
Fordman was unable to speak; his eyes were 
set in his head like glass, and he seemed 
entirely unconscious of all around him. Joseph 
held his hand and looked into his eyes in 
silence for a short time. A change in 
Brother Fordham was soon noticed by all present. 
His sight returned, and upon Joseph asking him if 
he knew him, he, in a low whisper, answered, " Yes." 
Joseph asked him if he had faith to be healed. He 
answered, "I fear it is too late; if you had come 



116 

sooner, I think I could have been healed." The 
Prophet said, "Do you not believe in Jesus Christ?" 
He answered in a feeble voice, "I do." Joseph then 
stood erect still holding his hand in silence several 
moments. Then he spoke in a loud voice, saying, 
"Brother Fordham, I command you in the name of 
Jesus Christ to arise from this bed and be made 
whole." His voice was like the voice of God, and 
not of man. It seemed as though the house shook to 
its very foundation. Brother Fordham arose from 
his bed and was healed that moment. He put on 
his clothes, and after eating a bowl of bread and 
milk, followed the Prophet into the street. 

These things strengthened greatly the faith of the 
Saints, who gave thanks and praise to the Lord for 
the power which He had given to His servants. 



s 

^ 
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2. 




THE PROPHET'S VISIT TO WASHINGTON. 

Joseph now decided to go to Washington, and make 
a full report to the President of the United States 
and Congress of the wrongs which his people had 
suffered in Missouri. The Saints, at that time were 
very poor, for they had been robbed of almost all 
their property. The Prophet hoped to be able to 
get them help. He felt that the State of Missouri 
should be made pay the Saints for the great loss they 
had suffered. 

In the month of October, 1839, in company with 
Sidney Rigdon and Judge Elias Higbee, Joseph start- 
ed for the national capital. They traveled by stage. 
There were in the coach some women and children, 
also two or three members of Congress. 

One day while they were traveling through the 



118 

mountains the driver stopped at a house to get some 
liquor. While he was gone, the horses became fright- 
ened and started to run at full speed down a steep 
hill. The women screamed, and one lady, fearing 
she would be killed, was about to throw her baby 
out of the window when the Prophet got hold of 
her and kept her from doing so. 

Of all the passengers, he was the least excited. 
When he had calmed the women, he opened the door 
and climbed up into the driver's seat. Then he got 
hold of the reins, and in a little while brought the 
horses under control and stopped them. They had 
run about three miles. 

The passengers gave much praise and thanks to 
the young man for his brave act. Had it not been 
for his heroic work perhaps some of them would 
have lost their lives. The gentlemen from Washing- 
ton said they would call the attention of Congress to 
the noble deed. They asked the Prophet his name. 
He told them he was Joseph Smith. On hearing that, 



H 













119 

they looked at each other in surprise and said no 
more about the matter. 

On the way, Sidney Eigdon took sick, and had to 
be left at Philadelphia. Soon after their arrival in 
Washington, the Prophet Joseph and Judge Higbee 
called upon President Van Buren and gave him their 
letters of introduction. When he had learned their 
errand, a frown came over his face, and he said 
sharply, "I can do nothing for you. If I do anything 
I shall come in contact with the whole State of 
Missouri." 

Then Joseph told him of the terrible wrongs which 
had been done to the Saints in Missouri. As he 
related them, the feelings of the President seemed 
to change, and he said he would think the matter 
over. 

When the Prophet and his companion called on 
the President again they were surprised to find that 
he had no desire to help the poor people who had 
been so cruelly wronged. "Your cause is just," he 



120 

said; "but I can do nothing for you. If I take up for 
you, I shall lose the vote of Missouri." 

A committee had been appointed by Congress to 
consider the matter, but the members of it, like the 
President, were afraid to do anything in behalf of 
the despised "Mormons." 

But Joseph's mission to Washington was not an 
entire failure. He preached several public sermons, 
and made many warm friends, who afterwards wrote 
and spoke well of him. 






REMARKABLE PROPHECIES AND THEIR 
FULFILLMENT 

One day a number of Indians came to Nauvoo 
to see the Prophet. Some of them had read the Book 
of Mormon, and they wanted to meet the man who 
had sent them the wonderful history. 

Joseph told them about their forefathers, who 
had come across the great waters to this land. He 
told the Indians of the many ways in which the Lord 
had blessed their fathers. But because they would 
not do as the Lord told them, but quarreled and 
fought among themselves, He was angry with them 
and caused a dark skin to come upon many of them. 

The Prophet told the Indians that if they would 
do right, and live in peace, the Lord would bless 
them and they would be happy. When he had 



122 

finished speaking one of the chiefs said: "I believe 
you are a great and good man. I look rough, but 
I am also a son of the Great Spirit. I have heard 
your voice; and we intend to quit fighting, and fol- 
low the good advice you have given us." 

Nauvoo grew very fast. In less than two years 
there were thousands of Saints living there in good 
homes. A university was planned, and later the 
city was crowned with a beautiful Temple. 

The Prophet felt, however, that his people 
would not remain there long. One day he crossed 
the river to Montrose. Standing in the shade of 
a building there he uttered a remarkable prophecy. 
He said the Saints would continue to suffer much 
affliction, and would be driven to the Rocky Moun- 
tains. Many would leave the Church, others would 
be put to death or lose their lives through disease, 
and because of the trials that would come to them; 
but some of those present would live to go and help 
make settlements and build cities and see the Saints 




Joseph Preaching to the Indians. 



123 

become a mighty people in the midst of the Rocky 
Mountains. That was a wonderful prophecy. It 
has been fulfilled to the very letter. 

One night the Prophet Joseph, Wjilford 
Woodruff and Willard Richards were out walking 
together, and talking about the great latter-day work. 
Suddenly a strange light appeared in the heavens. 
It was in the shape of a sw^ord. As they stood 
looking at it, Joseph told them that it was a sign of 
a terrible war which would take place in this coun- 
try. 

Some years before this he prophesied about this 
great war. He said it would be brought about by 
the Southern States rebelling against the Northern 
States; that the Southern States would call on Great 
Britain for help; that the war would begin in South 
Carolina, and that it would end in the death of many 
men. 

About twenty-eight years later this prophecy 
began to be fulfilled. The Southern States rebell- 



124 

ed against the Northern States, which brought about 
the great Civil War. The war commenced where 
the Prophet said it would, in South Carolina, and it 
ended in the death of over one million men. 

Before closing this chapter I wish to tell you 
about another prophecy which Joseph gave in the 
month of May, 1843. He was dining at Carthage, 
Illinois, with Judge Stephen A. Douglas and others 
After dinner, Judge Douglas asked the Prophet to 
give him an account of the persecutions of the 
Saints in Missouri. Joseph did so, talking for al- 
most three hours. 

At that time the judge seemed to be very 
friendly towards the Prophet. When Joseph had 
told him all that the Saints had passed through, he 
looked straight into Mr. Douglas' face and said: 
"Judge, you will aspire to the Presidency of the 
United States; and if you ever turn your hand 
against me or the Latter-day Saints, you will feel 
the weight of the hand of the Almighty upon you; 



125 

and you will live to see and know that I have testi- 
fied the truth to you; for the conversation of this 
day will stick to you through life." 

Seventeen years afterwards Mr. Douglas was 
named for President of the United States. It was 
firmly believed that he would be elected, for he was 
looked upon as a great man. But, in order to make 
friends of those who were opposed to the Saints, he 
turned against the Latter-day Saints, and said many 
things about them which were false and wicked. 

Well, the day of the election came, and Judge 
Douglas w^as defeated; he was voted down in every 
State in the Union except one. It was at that time 
that Abraham Lincoln was made President. 

In less than a year Judge Douglas died at his 
home in Chicago, a disappointed and almost broken- 
hearted man. 



A COLD-BLOODED MURDER. 

On the 6th day of April, 1844, a special con- 
ference of the Church was held in Nauvoo. There 
were twenty thousand people present. The Pro- 
phet seemed to be filled with the Spirit of the Lord. 
He preached for three and a half hours, and during 
all that time the people sat in silence, drinking in the. 
glorious truths that fell from his lips. That ser- 
mon will never be forgotten. People often talk 
about it now. 

At that time a number of men were cut off from 
the Church. Their names were William Law, 
Wilson Law, Chauncy L. Higbee, Francis M. Higbee, 
and Robert D. Foster. They had been found guitly 
of wicked things. They had even gone so far as to 
lay plans to kill the Prophet. 



127 

These vile traitors went to Carthage, Illinois, 
and made false and wicked charges against the Pro- 
phet Joseph. On hearing that an order had been 
issued for his arrest, Joseph went to Carthage and 
placed himself in charge of an officer of the court. 
All he wanted was a fair trial, and that it be held 
at once. The other side, however, wanted the case 
held back for a time. It was decided to do this. 
Joseph was given in charge of the sheriff; but that 
officer allowed him to return with his compaions to 
Nauvoo. Joseph learned later that it was the in- 
tention of his enemies to kill him that nigiht in 
Carthage. 

On the night of the 22nd of June, 1844, Joseph 
and his brother, Hyrum left JSTauvoo. They had 
decided to go to the Eocky Mountains, to escape 
from their enemies, and to choose a place of safety 
and rest for the Saints. Tears streamed down the 
Prophet's cheeks as he bade good-by to his loved 
ones. 



128 

Some time after Joseph and Hyrum had left, 
Emma Smith, the Prophet's wife, and others sent 
messengers after them, asking them to come back, 
as they were being spoken of as cowards. They 
turned at once and started back towards Nauvoo. 
" Hyrum," said Joseph, "we are going back to be 
murdered." To this Hyrum replied, "If we live or 
die we will be reconciled to our fate." 

Next morning Joseph, with seventeen others, 
started for Carthage. On the way Joseph said to 
his companions, "I am going like a lamb to the 
slaughters, but I am calm as a summer's morning. I 
have a conscience void of offense toward God and 
toward all men. If they take my life I shall die 
an innocent man, and my blood shall cry from the 
ground for vengeance, and it shall yet be said of me, 
' He was murdered in cold blood'. " 

On the 27th of June, 1844, the Prophet Joseph, 
his brother, Hyrum, Apostles John Taylor and 
Willard Eichards were sitting as prisoners in 




Hyrum Smith, the Patriarch. 



129 

Carthage jail. They were very sad, for they felt 
that something awful was going to happen. Joseph 
asked Brother Taylor to sing a hymn, which he did. 

A little later the brethren saw a number of men 
with painted faces running around the jail. They 
had guns in their hands. They rushed up the stair- 
way, burst open the door and began firing upon the 
prisoners. The beloved Hyrum was the first to fall. 
He received three bullets, and sank to the floor, say- 
ing, "I am a dead man." Joseph sprang to the win- 
dow. As he stood for a second looking out, two bul- 
lets from behind and one from the mob in front 
pierced his body, and he fell to the ground exclaim- 
ing, "My Lord! my God!" Elder Taylor received five 
bullet wounds, but, strange to tell, they did not prove 
fatal. Elder Richards was left unharmed. 

Thus ended the mortal lives of two of the noblest 
and best men the world has ever seen. Save Jesus 
of Nazareth, no greater Prophet ever lived than 
Joseph Smith. 



130 

" Praise to his memory, he died as a martyr, 

Honored and blessed be his ever great name; 
Long shall his blood which was shed by assassins 
Stain Illinois, while the earth lauds his fame." 



ERRATA. 

On page 2 read, "The family consisted of Joseph 
Smith, the father, Lucy Smith, the mother, six sons 
and three daughters." 



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